marino



Jan. 24, 1956 s. F. MARINO DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled March 2, 1950 lill-" QQ Nw r ,o E W M TR SMM m vaar WE A l T H wfLY me iwan.

Jan. 24, 1956 s. F. MARINO 2,731,857

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES Filed March 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2/NVE/vTo/a; SALVATORE FMA /fvo H/S ATTORNEY United States Patent I2,731,857 DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CYCLES Salvatore F. Marino, Bristol,Conn., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mieli., acorporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1950, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 74*7S1) to the hub is momentarily To these ends and alsoto improve generally upon devices of this character, the inventionconsists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed. In

in low speed position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the arrangement ofthe variable speed gearing;

'Figure 3 is a fragmentary section illustrating the gearing in neutralin normal gear position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section showing the gearing in neutralposition between normal and high gears;

to a bicycle;

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the manual gear shift control which isbroken away to show its operation; and

VFigure l2 is an end elevation of the manual gear shift control.

Generally considered, I have provided a multi-speed coaster brakewherein a forwardly driven sprocket acts through a selective multi-speeddrive to rotate a 2,731,857 Patented Jan. 24, 195e the usual fork (notshown) is adapted to be clamped against it by a nut- 23 and a washer.The bearing cone 15, has an enlarged ing ring 40when the brake isSteeply pitched internal threads on the connector Y on a rotatablecontrolling intert with external threads member 51 spaced about the axleand having intermewith a similar set of teeth on a washer 68 heldagainst the slotted reara washer, the provided with a slabbed-ofprojection 72 1n the rear fork of the bicycle frame.

Al reduced sleeve extension 74` of the cone member 62 lits over.and issecured `to the axle as by brazing. An

axial bore 75v extending into the right-hand axle end, as viewed inFigure l, is interrupted intermediate of its ends by a diametrical slot76 which also diametrically extends through the surrounding sleeve 74. Asun gear 78,fjour nalled on and axially shiftable on this sleeve'74, hasatits ends identical sets of gear teeth 79 andV 80, thesesets of gearteeth being spaced by an intermediate cylindrical portion 84 having adiameter slightly less than theroot diameter of these teeth, asbest`sliown`in Figure 2. A pair of Similar at plates 86 and 87,'slidable'-withiri the slot 76, extend in reversed relation to eachother in loosely tting'engagement within the sun gear 78,-and

preferably are arranged to abut each other at their'irlner ends. Theflat plate 86'has a pair of lugs 88.over1apping one end-of the sun gearand a similar pairof lugs 89"611 the'plate 87 overlap the other end Yof,thesunf-gear. A coiled spring 94, extending into a recess in theplate86, is axially compressed between the plate and the inner end of this bore, and a similar but stronger coiled spring 95, entering a recess inthe plate 87, is axially'com'pressed between the plate 87 and anadjustable plugY 96 'threaded intothe outer end "of the axle. A shifterrod 98,'operable in a manner to be later described, slidably extendsthrough the plug`9r6, the spring 95 and'the'plate 87 and isthreaded totagenerally rectangular block 100 which interiits within cooperatingopposed: recesses in the plates 'S6fand 87.

I"My epicyclic variable speed gearing includes 'a' set of.circumfcrent-ially spaced stepped planetary pinions 104, journalledvonstuds 105 projecting inwardlyv frornthe arf rier' 59, each pinion havinga set of teeth 107 of'lesser number and having a smaller pitch diameterthan that of 'the teeth 106. A ring of-Y gear teeth 109, projectinginwardly from the sleeve 54, always meshes with the planetary pinionteeth 106 which'are also meshed with the sun gear teeth 79 during lowand normal gears (Figures land 4)'. teeth 107 always mesh with an outerset of teeth 110 on a ring gear 11,1 that serves as a supplemental sungear and has aninternal set of teeth 112 with which Athe sets of sunge'ar teeth 79`a n d 80 maybe selectively engaged as shown in'Figures 1and 6. By using this supplemental sun ygear 111, the etectiveV pitchdiameter at each end of the sun gear may be selectively changed toprovide the necessaryY compact change speed gearing having a seriesofdriving ratios' that 4wouldr normally require two planetary geartrains. The supplemental sun gear set of teeth` 106 and'ari'other Thepinion Y 4 128, is rotatably secured to the lower end ofa exible wirecable 130 which is conveniently guided adjacent to the bicycle frame bya pulley in a bracket clamped to the frame, the upper cable end beingslidablc through a liexible casing 132 and operatively connected to thehand lever control mechanism 12 on the bicycle handlebar. A strap 133tightly secures the lower en d of the casing 132 to the bicycle frame.With the control mechanism 12 at normal gear position, adjusted tolocate the sun gear 7,8 in its positionof figure 4, wherein theinnermost end of the chain 1241is eveil with the end of the axle. Aportion of the nut 120 is cut away to show this adjustment; V"

The control mechanism 12 includes a sheet metal casing 136 having spacedside walls 138 extending from an end wall 140 and demountably secured,as by a clamp 142 to the underside of the bicycle handlebar and adjacentto the usual hand grip 143'. The end ywall 140 at 144 to dentountablyreceive "the reduced end offa bushing 146 secured to the upper end oftheexible casing 132, and a narrow open ended slot entering this; bore Yslidably receives the cable 130 during 'mountingv and demounting of thecasing and thebushing146; A shifter lever 148, which may be formed fromA generally U-shaped cross interconnected by a rounded bottom wall andhas spaced quadrant portions 149 journalled on4 a cross pinA 15,2.l`

mounted in the side walls 138. A rearwardly and down` wardly projectingportion of this lever extends bthf the handgrip 143 and maybeconveniently grasped'b'yithe" riders ngers and swung upwardly whilehis'hand remains on the steering grip 143.l A'n arcuate groove'153 atthe bottom of the quadrant portions l149 guides the exible cableV 130which is"dernountabl`y secured to shifter lever 148 by a lug 154fastened on the cableend and demountably held between the shifter leverside walls.'

i This lug'is demountably received through aside wall bore 111 isaxiallyplocatedy Y by the annular end ofthe coneY member 62 and byintcrf mediate shoulders on`the of vinternal teeth 62', arranged tobe'engaged by the sun gear teeth 80, which serve as clutch teeth, duringnormal and highgears, (Figures 4 and 6), extend from a cone membercounterbore 115 wherein the sun gear clutch teeth 80A momentarily locate(Figure 3) out of engagement with th'esupplernental sun gear and out ofengagement with the cone memherteeth Y114 during a gear shift betweenlow geartFigurel) and normal gear (Figure 4). Similarly, an intermediatecylindrical portion 118 on having a diameter slightly` less than theroot diameter of each set of pinion teeth 106 is of suicient Width sothat the sun gear teeth 79 (Figure 5) from the sets the supplemental sungear tween normal gear of pinion teeth 106 andfr'om (Figurefi) and highgear gagement since in moving through the neutralpositions of Figures 3and 5 it momentarily' disengages one` driving planetary pinions 104.- A;set,v 114 on the non-rotatable cone member each planetary` pinion andwill be momentarily disengaged 111 during a gear shifting be` (Figure6);" The sun' gear is smoothly shiftedrinto non-'clashing gear err-V inginto a hellY mouth 122 which slidably guides a` chain 124 that ispivotally connected atits inner end tog-'the shifter rod 98 and ispivotally connected at'itsv outer end toV a screw 12S. An adjustablecoupling nut 127', threaded on the screw 1,25 and heldin adjustment byalockiiut loosely 'received and the cable is removably received throughaslot at the end of the groove 153 and through a connecting` side wallslot opening into the b ore 15S. A` springpessed pawl 158on a engagesagainst a quadrant shoulder 160 to locate the shifter'lever 148, under4tension of the cable 130,1inY its full line low gear positionindicatedvat L, and this pawl is 'successively ratcheted into detachableengagement spacedquadrant teeth 162 and 163 as the shifter leveris swungupwardly and counterclockwise to the normal gear positionN and then tothe high gear positionV H. A'release'lever166jpivoted on the pin 152 andoperated by a,

light downward pressure on a lateral projection 167, easily engaged by`the riders thumb holding'the'grip 143, has a struck-out projectionk 170vide for a limited lost motion movement between'these levers.` Thereleasey lever 166 has a ,pawl-engageable, shoulder corresponding to theshoulder 160 and; has spaced camrning teeth 171 slightly rearwardly ofthe teeth 162 and 163 clockwisedirection.

When the shifting lever illustrated low gear position the teeth 17'17and172 will not interfere with the selected locking engagement of 163.'Vagainst the 'pawlV is yhigh gear position, the lateral projections 167shifts'the release lever-166 in a counterthrough its lost motion andcauses the tooth 172'to cani theY pawi out of engagement with theshifter lever tooth 1 163. The tcnsioned cable quickly swings theshifter lever 148`downwardly. until the pawl engages theV tooth 162 andholds the shifter lever in its normal cable las win quit-:kry swing the'shifter' rever 14s dawnthe coupling nut 127 is initially;

sheet metal intoal section, has spaced side walls" the 1 pivot pin inthe casing detachably or by a iingerfwhihef` in a bore in the shifterlever 1,48 to proand 172 normally locatedi- 14s is lifted from itsfun-nue L to its higher gear positions;y

the shifter lever teeth 162 and l15S.Y When the'shifterleverl 148;

a light downward pressure onear peti-V tion'N. "A further light downwardpressure on the lateral A wardly until the pawl engages the shoulder 160and all driving parts to turn as a single unit lncluding thecontrollingmember 51 and its threads 50 which shift the connector 45into hub-driving engagement,

When the sun gear 78 is positioned in any of its low, normal or highgear positions and when the forward driving rotation of the sprocket isstopped, the connector 45 will partially unwind on the threads Si? anddeciutch from the hub 11 permitting the hub to overrun and freely coast.Also, in any of these gear positions, when the sprocket 1t) isrearwardly turned, the connector e5 is moved by the threads 50 intoengagement with the brake actuating ring 40 causing the brake discs 3Sand 37 clamped together producing the desired hub braking action.

When the shifter lever 14S is moved to normal gear position, the shifterrod 98 acting through the block 1G() shifts the plate 87towards theright and the spring 94 acting through the plate 86 shifts the sun gear78 quickly through the first neutral position of Figure 3 to the normalgear position of Figure 4 wherein the sun gear is locked againstrotation by engagement of its clutch teeth 80 with the fixed internalteeth 114 on the cone member 62. Forward rotation of the sprocket 10 andits carrier movement of the pinions 104 and transmits an overdrive isstill held non-rotatable by the teeth 114 and the sun gear teeth 79interlock with the supplemental sun gear 111. Forward sprocket rotationat the previous rate now causes an even faster rotation of the pinions104 through the planetary movement of their teeth 107 in engagement withthe teeth 110 of the now non-rotating supplemental sun gear 111, allresulting in a further overdrive to the controlling member 51 and thehub 11.

inthe illustrated gear ratios and when the sprocket 10 rotates at aliXed rate, low gear provides a 25 percent gear reduction from normalgear and high gear provides a 331/3 percent gear increase over normalgear.

When the shifter lever 143 is released to a lower gear position, thespring 9S, being stronger than the spring 94, acts through the plate 87to shift the sun gear 7S towards the left through one or both neutralpositions to the position limited by the block 100 under control of thepreset shifter lever. The shifter .lever 14S, which preselect the desiregear change while drlvmg power is cketl, this change of gear beingautomatically eiected subsequently when the driving pressure between thesprocket and hub is momentarily relieved. When the shifter lever ismoved to a higher gear position, the plate 87 is partially withdrawnfrom the sun gear 78. Due to the driving pressures against the sun gearteeth, the shifting of the sun gear to the higher gear position by thespring 94 is delayed until the rider momentarily relieves the drivingpressure on the gear to take ling presstire cult.

l claim:

pinions rotatable on the carrier, each planetary( pinion having asimilar set of gear teeth meshing with the internal gear, each pinionalso having a second set of gear gear and into engagement with saidclutch teeth to provide different predetermined gear ratios between thecarrier and the controlling member, and

before it engages another operative relation.

3. In a device of the character indicated, a cycle hub,

tive engagementwth thesnpplemental sun gt-.arand` into andoutfoimeshed.engagement with the planetary pinions toprovide diierentpredetermined'gear ratios between the carrier-and the controlling member, and meansdisengagrotatable@ the ,Carnet each piionhavittg @St-#Of geef.

teeth meshing with the internal gearandhaving a second setofr'teethof adiiierent number from that of its first-mentoned teeth, a supplementalsun gear meshed with said secondisets of pinion teeth and havinginternal teeth, a rotatable and axially shiftable sun gear within thesupplemental sun gear, two axially spaced sets. of teeth on thesbiftable sun gear, gear shifting mechanism for shifting the sun gearto.predetermined Vpositions into and out of operative engagement withtheSupplemental sun gear andinto and out of operative engagement with the.planetary pinions to providedilerent gear ratios between thecarrier andthe controlling member, means engageable with one of said sets ofteethpreventing rotation ofjthe shiftable sun gear ini'at least one of itspredetermined positions, and mechanism temporarily disengaging one ofsaidsets of teeth'on the shiftable sun gear from operative relationdnring a portion of each gear shifting operation.

5.l In a device ri the character indicated, a cycle hub having a coastermember projecting within the hub to selectively control drivingand'braking, an enlarged portion on the controlling member outside ofthe huband having an internal gear, a rotatably driven carrierprojecting into the enlarged portion, studs on the carrier, a steppedplanetary piniongiournalled on eachstud, each pinion having a set ofrgearteeth meshing with the internal gear and having a 4sect'zlnd set ofgear teeth diterent in numberfrom its iirstrnentioned setof teeth,airing gear meshing with said e of planetary pinion teeth andhavinginternal teeft` an axially shiftable sun. gear rotatablevabioutthe axle and `having two sets of teethincluding a s'etof clutchteethjand gear shifting" mechanism. for. shiftingnthe sungear;to:predetermined.positions into and out of opera-l brakc, an axle,a rotatable controlling trolling. trembler,V Iraansy temporarily.dissnsasina the Sunl gear-from .operative relation.v durinaaportionQteachlgear Shifting Operation! and an axle-Supported. member. lock--ingthe sinn,gearagainstrotation-in two ofV saiddrying relations. A 7. Ina` dev ie of the character indicated,l a cycle hub,

a rotatable controlling rnernberlfor controlling hub driv.-Y ing, thecontrolling member having an internal gear, a.

rotatably drivenY carrier, a `plurality Of Planetary pinions.

outside diameter of itssecond set of teeth, a ring gearexternally/meshing with said second setsof pinion teeth i and having aninternal set of teeth, a rotatableand axially shftable sun gear within,the ring gear andhaving two similar axially spaced setsof teethseparated by a cylindrical portion of a diameter lessthan the rootdiameter of.

its sets of teeth, a non-rotatable member having internal teethengageable with-one of the sets ot sun gear teeth` and axially spacedfrom the ring gear by a distance exceeding the width of o ne of the setsof sun geariteethf the other set of sun gear teeth having awidthlessthan the distance betweenl the ring gear and Vthe-first Setofplanetary pinionteeth, and mechanismV for shifting the sun gear'. intoand out of planetary pinionengagement and.

into and ont of ring gear-engagement and into and out ofA engagementwith the internal teethonsad .non-.rotatable member.

8. ln a device of the characterlindicated, a cycle hub, i a rotatablydrivenr member, av change-speed drive between` the driven member and thehuh .and including a gear shiftable to different predetermined operativepositions to provide diterent gear ratios between the rotatably drivenvmember and the hub, a pair of opposed locating members respectivelyslidably extending into the oppositeends. ofthe gear, eachlocatinghmlember havingV a gear-positioning shoulder, opposed springsurgingsaid locating members into the gear, and gear shifting mechanismincluding Y a shifting member between andselectively operating thelocating members for effecting ya Vpartial withdrawal oftivelengagementlwith either or both'thering gear and the plan ary'pinions a'devicc Vof the character indicated, a cyclehub..

having av 'coaster brake,Y an axle, a rotatablecontrolling t otlgear.teeth meshi'ngwith theinternal gear and having asecondfset'otiteethkdlering in number fromits firstrnentionedsetofvteeth, a supplemental sun Vgear meshing withie'a'ch of saiddsecondsets of teeth and having internal` teeth, axiallyv shiftable Asun gearrotatable about .the axle and havingtwo` spaced sets of teeth includinga set of` clutchteeth, gear shifting mechanism for selectively shittingthe son. gear into predetermined operative relationswithhtheVsupplentental sun gear and with the plane-v tarypinions and. providingthree different gear ratios betweenntheotatablydrlven-carrier andsaidrotatable conhnb and having an internal"v one locating member `from theother locating member and fronjttheA gear to one ofy a plurality ofpredetermined positions, thevgear being subsequently` shifted intoengagement` with the withdrawn locating member bythe other springl urgedlocatingmembcr.

References Gitedinthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES `PATENTS

